The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1887-12-02
GEN. mitchell MAKES WAR WITH AsrRo

CHAPTER II.
GEN. mitchell MAKES WAR WITH AsTRo-
NoMICAL PRECISION.
The promptness and celebrity of the
movement by which Gen. Mitchell sur
prised the enemy in his front and cleared
the way for still greater enterprises was
hardly, IL at all, equaled by anything on
the Union side during the whole contest.
Pouring rain, flooded creeks and bridges
swept away did not delay him a moment
beyond his calculations, though they add
ed enormously to the discomforts Of the
army under his command. Probably his
scientific training was to some extent re
sponsible for his appreciation of the value
of minutes. Astronomers are accustomed
to deal with the thousandth part Of sec
ond and Mitchell, in his backwoods OBJ
servatory, had invented instruments
which made stellar records with more
precision than any astronomer who had
gone before him, and thus won world
wide fame In this department.. He car
ried the same qualities into the army.
Leaving Shelbyville for forced march
the morning after the Andrews raid had
started on its perilous way, and in exact
time to secure the largest results from its
CO operation-for its work was also to be
done at fixed period-he reached the vi
cinity of Huntsville before the enemy had
the slightest intimation Of his approach;
then rousing his men at midnight by the
light of the setting moon, he finished his
march in the darkness. and came upon
the sleeping town in the morning twilight,
capturing everything-stores, messages,
locomotives, trains and all the supplies OF
the railroad.
This was q glorious triumph, but It was
only the first Of the three parts of which
Mitchel's plan consisted, and he at once
entered ON the second. Friday, April IL
the very day on which we had reached
Marketable arranged all affairs con-
nected with the railroad management on
a raw basis, and started two trains loaded
with troops right into the midst of the
enemy's territory. The first went west
ward to possess all the road in that direc-
ton and to open communication with the
armies of Buell. and Grant, then at Pitts
burg landing, which was successfully and
promptly accomplished. The other, COM
manded by Mitchell in person, started
directly eastward. How far it should go
depended partly on the resistance met, but
still more on the news that might be re-
ceived from the Andrews raiders. The
little division Of Mitchell presented on that
clouded Saturday morning u most active
and imposing spectacle to an eye capable
of embracing it all. Three different rail-
road expeditions were rushing forward in
rebel territory -for ours was also
launched, and the other two, east and
west, were in full prOgress-while his re-
endorsements and the regiments which
had been outmarched were closing up on
IL. 10, - t.nt In m
| Mitchell halted short distance from
Bridgeport, Ala, and only about thirty
miles from Chattanooga, he knew that
the greater part of his work was still
undone. The whole north was thrilled
by his success; he was made a
major general and congratulated by the
president, and ordered 10 report directly
| to Washington; but he knew that the key
of the eneIny's position, the grand stra-
| tegical position of the war, ut least in the
west, was still unwon. And he also knew
that whether he could take and hold II
| depended upon the degree of success with
which we met that day in disabling the
| Georgia State and East Tennessee rail
roads. Could he capture Chattanooga at
| this early date, that town, which with Its
southwark connections afterward cost
| scores of thousands of lives and around
which struggled Rosecrans, Thomas,
Grant, Sherman, Bragg, Longstreet
Johnston, Hood and their brave armies
for two years of deadly conflict Mitchell
saw the value Of this point, and before
breaking camp at Shelbyville had sent oul
party to destroy the bridges or this road
and the Chickamauga bridge on the EasI
4 Tennessee road, thus with his own ad
vance from the west cutting off all posi-
BILE succor and leaving Chattanooga, nov
denuded of troops, at his mercy. He haf
now halted until he could hear what n
had done.
But one mistake already had beer
made. We were to strike the bridges OF
Friday, the very day that Mitchell strucl
Huntsville 1t was now Friday evening
and we had done nothing, while Mitche
was within two hours run of Chattanooga
with the road open before him, abundance
of rolling stock, and the enemy in panic
i'm his front. The cause of this delay was
that Andrews, reasoning in a way that
would have been justified in the case Of
any other. Federal general, was assured
that Mitchell would inevitably be delayed
more than one day by such torrents o.
rain as had fallen since we left camp; and
that for us to strike too soon would Inn
pair the value of our work and might ever
call the enemy's attention to Mitchel'i
own advance; so he had sent word to oul
different squads that the grand attemp
would be Saturday, the 18th Of April, in
stead of Friday. That would yet be II
full time for Mitchels enterprise, but 4
increased our own difficulties and danger.
in way that will soon be made plain
On our morrow's work, therefore, de
pended the possession of Chattanooga
and probably the whole after course of tn,
war in the west. This is an Inference
only; but it rests upon mass of evidence o
which the reader who has not attentivel.
studied the subject can scarcely form a
idea.
| ITO be Continued.)